POTASSIUM THIOGLYCOLATE

Potassium thioglycolate (Potassium Mercaptoacetate) is the potassium salt of thioglycolic acid, a compound with strong reducing properties that breaks the disulfide bonds in hair keratin. It is primarily used in cosmetics for hair removal (depilatory products) and hair styling (perms, straighteners, and colorants) by chemically altering hair fibers to change their structure and weaken them. The best performance is reached in formulations with pH-values of 11-12.

 While generally safe when used according to instructions, potassium thioglycolate can cause skin irritation and sensitization with repeated exposure.